Putting aside the usual curmudgeonly grumbling directed at old standards like Pils Urquell ("dumbed down by XYZ brewery conglomerate," "shadow of its former self," "don't make it like they used to"), I submit this remains a classic, highly drinkable beer.

The six-pack I bought wasn't light-struck, as can be the problem, and a nice aroma reminiscent of baking bread wafted up from my glass  no skunk here. Spicy noble hops were a nice counterbalance and the beer sat in my glass an appetizing gold with a thin foamy white head.

The taste was a great balance between bitter hops and a sweet malty flavour that was almost honey-like. Dry, crisp finish, but the carbonation seemed a bit flat and could have been better. Still, a great beer and a highly drinkable one for all occasions.

Finally got around to trying the original pilsner. 12 oz., (non-lightstruck) green bottle with some code on the back. It pours into my pils glass a crystal-clear, pale gold with a light bead leading up to an inch of white head, which leaves decent lacing. Skunky/spicy and green/earthy Saaz in the nose, with hints of grassiness and some toasted malts. It's fairly bitter on the palate with spicy, earthy, and piney hops balanced by a light dose of toasted malts. The mouthfeel is perfect - light to medium, quite drying, with creamy carbonation and medium finish - and it is immensely drinkable. After finishing this six-pack, I immediately went out and bought at 12 pack, which also went quite quickly. Delicious and well-worth a try.

Pours a deep, clear gold with a fast fading head. Has a clean aroma (hard to describe unless you have ever been in a lagering room at a brewery) with faint saaz aroma and some malt. Taste is highly regimented - refreshing malt sweetness up front, a tingle of carbonation and acidity in the middle, with a palate cleansing dryness at the end. An almost perfect session beer, because the palate is reset with each drink, ready for the next taste.

P.S. - only buy this in an enclosed twelve pack, or some other way where the beer has not been exposed to direct light. I have purchased two twelve packs in the past that have been skunked. Freshness is critical for this beer, and the green bottle is a huge mistake on the part of the maker.

I'm always a little nervous opening imported beers
that come in clear or green glass- but I couldn't
resist the bomber of Pilsner Urquell I saw at Esser's.

Pilsner Urquell pours out a fluffy white head over a pale
yellow brew. Carbonation is really active, and the nose
is of malt and yeast. Lucky me, it's not gone skunky! There's
a definite malt flavor up front with sort of a dry, almost citrus
finish. There's a definite grassy hop aftertaste. This is a good
beer- it does define the type after all. The big question is
whether you go for authenticity, or, in my opinion, a better
domestic example of the type (like Rogue's Uber Pilsner) is up
to you. In my area bombers of both types are readily available
and comparable in price. Hmmm... the temptation is not to
choose at all- you could always get both and have yourself a
Pilsner shootout...

Light straw in color with a quickly disapating head. The skunk at first smell, but mellowed out to sweet malt and saaz. A crisp taste, malty sweetness, spice with bitterness. light clean mouthfeel, a definate drinker if I were feeling light on occasion.

Thought this was a very good Pilsner compared to others I've had. The saaz hop character was a bit more mild, and a combination of sweeter malt and less harsh carbination made this much more pleasant to drink. The combination of less bitter taste and smooth mouthfeel was excellent, making this easy to drink.

I have had this beer on many occasions, both on tap and bottled. This occasion was from a bottle with some wonderful sushi to accomany.
The beer is a nice dark yellow color with a smooth white head. This beer has a distinct smell, different than most green bottle imports. It has a clear hoppy smell, actually a little floral. The taste has an very enjoyable bitterness. This is much different from typical american pilsners, as this is the "original pilsner". The beer feels good in your mouth, and finishes nicely.

Overall, this is a very, very good pilsner! It worked nicely with the sushi and wasabi!

A waitress's pour produced less of a head than I would have hoped for from the classic pilsener (I'm not enough of an ass to demand to pour my beer myself in a nice restaurant). About a finger or two. The beer itself was a clear golden hue.

The smell was skunky at first, but that went away after a couple of minutes. Other aromas were a smooth maltiness.

It tasted mostly malty with some crisp hoppiness at the finish. Not bad, not tremendous either.

The mouthfeel was crisp and light. This would be very sessionable, particularly at a barbeque on a hot day given its lightness.

Overall, not a bad beer but not one that I'm going to search out. But I'll happily order it in a restaurant where the only other options are BMC and Guinness or Stella.

Final Statement: Very much like standard Euro lagers, yet the best of the bunch. If you're into Heiniken or Stella on warm summer nights, then try out Pilsner Urquell. I'll continue to you buy this every so often for that particular event.

Used a pilsner glass to try this, the first pilsner ever. Poured a pale golden color with large bead rising from bottom. Looks like most people think of beer. In a pils glass, sweat on the glass, steady carbo, nice small head. Looks like a classic example of beer. The first smell was kinda skunky which is possible with the green glass. Also a sourish hoppy smell and some veggie smell of mostly corn. Taste was about the same with the biggest contributor being the hops and adjuncts. Mouthfeel on lighter side with carbonation bubbles fading fast. Light drying aftertaste, fairly crisp finish. Drinkability was OK at best, but had to try the original pilsner at least once.

Pours out a bright gold with a soft head that leaves lacing all around the glass. Great clarity and moderate carbonation in the body. Classic pils aromas of bread, toasty malt, and a good dose of spicy, herbal tea-like hops. Flavor starts of bready and fruity (in an apple way) which then leads into a kick of hops: spicy and herbal. Finishes dry, clean, and slightly bitter. Mouthfeel is of moderate body and the carbonation is sufficient. Perfect drinkability.

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. Deep hue of gold with moderate carbonation. The head is very short-lived, then settles to nothing. The aroma is that of skunky hops and sweet, corn like hints. The taste is rather full and bold with sweet, almost chocolaty malts up front, followed by a bitter-sweet hoppy ending. The mouthfeel is moderately thick and full for a pilsner and has a creamy texture. The citrusy hops create a crisp bite towards the end. Overall a good beer to have with food or cheese.

Pilsner Urquell pours the quintessential 24K gold pilsner color with a rich foamy bright white head. Decent carbonation streams from the center of the glass. Classic and diagnostic Saaz hop aroma; softly spoken and not overdone, with a soft briny element to the nose as well. Taste is very bready, with biscuit and light but evident malts present. As always, this is a brew that will keep you entertained one after the next, never loosing the taster in beer desensitization land. Medium in body and very user friendly, this is one of the best mass produced, tasty and refreshing world wide brands that money can buy at $11.99 a 12 pack.!

A - Pretty boring looking in a big pilsner glass at Buffalo Wildwings. One of my freinds thought that I was having a Miller Light...that pretty much sums it up. There are some nice rings of lace left on the glas though.

Poured deep gold with a one-inch head that dropped to a film quickly. An initial powerful smell of skunk (why the green bottle -- WHY?) that faded into the background but did not totally vanish. Aroma of Sazz with undertones of caramel. Taste is surprisingly bitter, but balanced nicely with malt, especially when the beer warms up a little.

appearance: Greenish 12 oz. pop-top typical of sub-par imports. Raised "Pilsner Urquell" lettering on bottle. Purchased 12pack of 12oz bottles completely incased in cardboard. Light to amber-light straw colored with thin frothy head with a small amount of lacing down the side of the glass.

smell: Wonderful fresh baked bread aroma with a faint hint of Saaz hops in the background. This is the first time I've had a Pilsner Urquell out of the bottle and it hasn't been skunked. Must be the 12 pack incased in cardboard that kept the light from tearing into the hops. I will only buy this beer in this packaging from now on.

taste: Good blend/balance of toasty malt, hops and yeast sulfur. Nice and crispy.

mouthfeel: Thin, light, smooth and refreshing.

drinkability: Good drinkability. No problem spending a good deal of time with multiple bottles of this stuff.

overall: I was extremely surprised that this green bottle stuff wasn't skunked. My advice: screw the six-pack and get it by the 12 pack, completely encased in cardboard and shielded away from the mean ol' beer skunkin' light.

pours a beautiful light gold. the head is nice but fizzy and dissapates rather quicky... that traditional euro pils skunkiness is there...and at the end it really explodes with a crisp grassy and slighty overdone hop bite.. This isn't bad but it's definately more bitter than most. it takes away from the drinkability...at least for me. Distinctive and thirst quenching but will be too bitter for most palate's. love the color....love the bottles....taste=average.

Event number 2 of 6 in the Euro Invitation is Pilsner Urquell, the original pilsner. Stella Artois was the first event, scoring adequately. Can Urquell squeak past it? On to the beer;

The head is a dissapointment, as it's actually on the fizzy side. But at least its golden body is appealing to look at. I hesitate to taste because I've have this beer in bottles before, and it becomes a battle with its bitterness. Here we go...Mmm, much smoother than I remember it to be. Slightly buttery, malty, and it's trademark hoppy aroma. Finishes clean. Either I got a good bottle, or my palate has really changed that much (I've been drinking beer regularly for only 6 months now, and I'm still just 21). Maybe it's both.

A good round by Pilsner Urquell puts it past Stella Artois in the early standings. Will its score stand up for the rest of the meet? Stay tuned.